Fort Hall Man Sentenced to 27 Months for Involuntary Manslaughter

Fort Hall Man Sentenced to 27 Months for Involuntary Manslaughter

POCATELLO—Ian Jack Crooked Arm, a/k/a Ian Sittre, 27, of Fort Hall, Idaho, was sentenced today in United States District Court to 27 months in prison, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also ordered Sittre to serve three years of supervised release, following his release from prison. Sittre pleaded guilty to the charge on February 26, 2014. In imposing sentence, Judge Winmill noted that Sittre already had served nine months in tribal jail in connection with the offense. Thus, Sittre will serve a total of 36 months.

According to the plea agreement, a 10-month-old girl was left in Sittre’s care when the child’s mother went to work on February 20, 2013. Sittre was living with the infant’s mother and other family members at a residence on the Fort Hall Indian Reservation. Less than 10 minutes after leaving, Sittre called the child’s mother and told her something was wrong with the baby. Upon arriving at the residence, Sittre told the mother that the baby was “breathing funny.” She called 911 and attempted CPR. Sittre left the residence before paramedics or police arrived. Paramedics transported the child by ambulance to Portneuf Medical Center, unconscious and non-responsive. She was then airlifted to Primary Children’s Medical Center in Salt Lake City, in critical condition. Despite the efforts of medical personnel, the infant died on February 22, 2013.

Also according to the plea agreement, an autopsy conducted on February 23 concluded that the immediate cause of death was abusive head trauma inflicted by a caregiver. A review of the child’s medical history found nothing to indicate any pre-existing conditions that may have contributed to the child’s death. While in jail on April 4, 2013, Sittre told his mother during a recorded telephone call that he shook the baby “too hard.”

The case was investigated by the Fort Hall Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.